Refrigerator cabinet structure



July ll, 1950 R. l. BENSON 2,514,926

REFRIGERATOR CABINET STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 25. 1945 Patented July 11,1950 REFRIGERATOR CABINET STRUCTURE Ralph L. Benson, Birmingham, Mich.,asslgnor to AVC() Manufacturing Corporation, a corporation of DelawareApplication August 23, 1945, Serial No. 612,202 s claims. y(01.' 22o-9)The invention relates to refrigerator cabinet structures and moreparticularly to the means for attaching breaker strips to cabinet walls,door and around openings in the cabinet.

Desiderata in refrigerator cabinets with ybreaker strips are attachingdevices: which avoid the use of securing elements which extend throughthe breaker strip and are exposed or visible on the outer face thereof;by which the strips may be removably and directly secured to the wallsso that channelled strips in which the margins of the breaker strips areconfined and unnecessary, which include resilient clips which aredetachable from the breaker strips, for replacement or permitting thestrips to be stacked during shipment or storage without danger ofscratching the faces of the strips; which include clips which removablyand securely hold the breaker strips in engagement with the walls of thecabinet, are resilient to press the strips into engagement with theinner and outer wallsl of the cabinet, and are simple in constructionand can be economically fabricated.

One object of the invention is to provide a breaker strip and attachingdevices embodying these desiderata.

Another object of the invention is to provide a. breaker strip withresilient clips which are directly engageable with the walls betweenwhich vthe strip is placed for removably securing the of the walls.

Another object of the invention is to provide a breaker strip withdevices for detachably mounting the breaker strip on the walls which issimple in constructiomwill efficiently secure the breaker strip in itsmounted relation and can be economically fabricated.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detaileddescription.

The invention consists in the several features hereinafter set forth andmore particularly deiined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

` In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a refrigerator cabinet equipped with abreaker strip and attaching devices embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of a portion of a breaker strip and one oftheattaching devices.

Fig. 4 is a section of the breaker strip and one of the clips taken online 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the plates bonded to theinnerface of the breaker strip.

Fig. 6 1s a perspective view of one of the resilient clips.

The invention is exemplified in arefrigerator cabinet which is providedwith an opening in its front which is normally closed by a door IIhinged to one side of the cabinet. The cabinetstructure includes anouter wall I3 or wrapper which is provided with a rearwardly extendingflange I4 which maybe formed of overlapping integral portions and aninner wall or liner I8 which is provided with a forwardly extendingflange I1. These walls are usually formed of sheet metal which aresecured together with a space between them which is packed withinsulating material I8 for preventing heat transfer between the walls.The rear edge I9 of ange I 4 on outer wall I3 and the front edge 20 offlange I'l are spaced apart to eliminate as far as possible a directmetallic path between the wrapper I3 and liner IS. This spacing leaves agap between the inner and outer walls and exposes the insulatingmaterial IB. This gap or space is adapted to be covered by a breakerstrip 22 which may extend in one piece around the sides, top and bottomof the cabinet around the door opening, or, if desired, be formed insections positioned around the door opening. The outer margin of thebreaker strip overlaps the outer face of rearwardly extending flange I4on outer wall I3, and its inner margin, which may be provided Jwith anangular portion 26, overlaps and is adapted to engage the outer face offlange I1 of liner I6. This breaker strip 22 is usually formed of anydesired material, preferably material having a low co-eflicient of heatconductivity. At spaced intervals substantially fiat plates 28 aresecured to the inner face of the breaker strip by being cemented theretowith a high strength adhesive. for example, such as is commerciallyknown as Cycleweld or Metlbond. Each plate 28 constitutes an element fordetachably connecting a resilient clip. generally designated 30, to thebreaker strip 22. The plates 28, being bonded to the inner face of thebreaker strip,

`provide an attachment eleme t on said strip l tachably retaining anattaching clip 30.

Each clip 3l is formed of a strip of ilatresilient metal bent to form apair of integral convergent members 32' joined together at 33 toYprovide a substantially V-shaped portion, a pair of members 34 whichdiverge toward the convergent members 32 and a pair of inturned tonguesor terminals 35. The oii'set portion 29 of each plate 28 is formed withnotches 36 into which fit the ends of the divergent members 34 adjacenttongues 35. The tongues or terminals 35 are adapted to slide into andout of socket 3I through its open ends. The convergent members 32constitute a V-shaped portion which, when forced between the edges I9and 20 of flanges I4 and I1, respectively, will contract the clip untilthe meeting corners between divergent members 34 and convergent members32 have passed through the gap between said flanges. The divergentmembers 34 react on the edges I9 and 20 to cam the breaker strip 22 intoengagement toward flanges I4 and I1 when clips 30 have been insertedbetween the inner and outer walls and the breaker strip engages saidwalls, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The clips then extend into the looseinsulating material I 8.

e The breaker strip 22 is placed in position to cover the gaps betweenthe flanges on the inner and outer walls of the cabinet by applyingoutward pressure and forcing the clips through said gaps. As the clipsare forced through the gaps, their convergent members 32 will contractuntil the divergent members 34 pass into said gap between the edges ofthe flanges of the walls. The strip 22 is then forced inwardlytowardsaid walls until the divergent members 34 exert a camming pressureagainst the edges of anges i4 and I'I and force and hold the margins ofthe breaker strip in engagement with the exposed faces of said flanges.When access is desired to the space between the inner and outer walls orrepair may be necessary in the clips, the breaker strip can be priedaway from said anges on the walls until the convergent members 32 havepassed intoV said gap, whereupon the strip can be freely separated fromthe flanges. When the strip is removed from the cabinet, the clips canbe readily replaced, when desired.

In fabricating the breaker strip and its attaching devices. plates 28are cemented to the inner face of the breaker strip. The resilient clipsare separately fabricated. The strips and clips may be readily stackedor packed for storage or shipment until they are to be used. The clipsare then spread and their tongues are inserted in open ends of sockets30 between the offset portions 29 of plates 28. The inherent resiliencyof the clips will press the tongues and convergent members 32 intonotches 36 in the edges of the offset portions 29 so they will beresiliently locked to plates 28 and the breaker strip 22 will projectfrom and be secured to said breaker strip.

The invention exemplifies a breaker strip with attaching devices whichare detachably connected thereto without screws or rivets which extendthrough the breaker strip. The invention also exemplifies a detachingdevice for the breaker strip which includes a plate which is bonded tothe inner face of the breaker strip to which the resilient clip isdetachably connected. The invention also exemplies a. clip for securingthe breaker strip on the cabinet which directly engages the flanges onthe inner and outer walls of the cabinet and by camming pressure holdsthe breaker strip against said flanges. The clips which are formed offlat strips of resilient metal extend into the insulating material andare of suflicient length to form a heat transfer path of low co-emciencyfor preventing excessive heat transfer. The invention also exemplifiesattaching devices which are adapted for use with a unitary breaker stripwhich extends around the door opening or which may be formed in sectionsand is also applicable to walls in which the flanges on the inner andouter walls are stepped or obtusely and acutely angled, as wellunderstood in the art. I

The invention is not to be understood as limited to the detailsdescribed, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing `from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is;

1. Means for securing to a refrigerator cabinet provided with an outerwall and an inner wall having margins with a substantially continuousgap between them, a breaker strip having a continuous, flat unbrokenplanar surface throughout its width adapted to overlie said margin forcovering said gap, comprising: a plate bonded to the inner face of saidplanar surface and provided with a transversely extending offset portionprotruding outwardly from said planar surface, a clip having convergentand divergent members adapted to pass into said gap, the divergentmembers having outer side surfaces resiliently engaging the margins ofsaid walls for securing the strip to cover said gap and inner surfacescontacting said plate at the ends of said offset portion of said plate,and inturned tongues integral with said clip extending between theoffset portion of said plate and said inner surface of said breakerstrip for securing the clip to the breaker strip, the width of saidplate being substantially equal to the width of said gap for flxedlysecuring said clip between the ends of said plate and said margins whensaid breaker strip is mounted upon said cabinet.

2. Means for securing to a refrigerator cabinet provided with an outerwall and an inner wall having margins with a substantially continuousgap therebetween, a breaker strip having a continuous flat unbrokenplanar surface throughout its width adapted to overlie said margin forcovering the gap comprising: a plate bonded to the inner face of saidplanar surface and provided with an off-set portion forming anopen-ended, transversely extending outwardly protruding socket at theinner surface of said breaker strip, a clip of substantially at metalprovided with resilient convergent and divergent members having outerside faces for resiliently engaging the margins of the walls forsecuring the breaker strip to cover the gap and inner surfaces forengaging the ends of said socket, said clip having inturned tonguesformed thereon extending between said socket and planar surface andremovably tting in said socket for detachably securing the clip to thebreaker strip, the width of said plate being substantially equal to thewidth of said gap for xedly securing said clip between the ends of saidplate and said margins when said breaker strip is mounted upon saidcabinet.

3. Means for securing to a refrigerator cabinet provided with an outerwall and an inner wall having margins with a substantially continuousgap between said margins, a breaker strip adapted to overlap saidmargins for covering the gap, comprising: a plate bonded to the innersurface 5 o! said breaker strip and provided with an onf-set portionforming an open-ended. transversely extending socket at the innersurface of said strip, notches at the ends of the ott-set portion and aclip of substantially nat metal provided with resilient, convergent anddivergent members adapted to pass into said gap, said divergent membershaving side faces adapted to resiliently engage the margins of thewalls, inner faces adapted to engage the base of said notches and edgeportions adapted to engage the side edges of said notches, and inturnedtongues integral with the clip removably extending into the socket fordetachably securing the clip to the breaker strip.

RALPH L BENSON.

REFERENCES' CITED The following references are of record in the 111e ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

